


Heroine.

by itsnotlove



Category: Durarara!!
Genre: Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/M, Horror, Killing, Killing Stalking AU, M/M, Murder, No ship tagged bc aha i'm dyign, Police, Psychological Torture, Torture, attempt at horror?, ay ay guess who's a cop again, i feel like the killing and stalking are implied bc this is a ks au, is this horror?, we just don't know
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-22
Updated: 2017-01-23
Packaged: 2018-09-19 03:41:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9417023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsnotlove/pseuds/itsnotlove
Summary: An au based on Killing Stalking.Good luck!





	1. Chapter 01

_There’s someone I like…_

 

If a person doesn’t want another person knowing things about them, then they’d have their social media pages set to private. And if they didn’t want their profiles to be changed from private to public, then they’d sign out of the display tablets at the electronic store. They wouldn’t leave themselves signed in by accident- especially not this person.

 

So there’s nothing shameful about another person checking their profiles for posts and updates about their life. Besides, if they have nothing to hide, then they won’t mind. And they probably- _definitely_ \- already know. Even if you wear a good disguise, that disguise can still identify you! If the person you’re following is smart, then they’d definitely know you’re watching them!

 

Maybe that’s why they always make sure to check in online to all the places they go? They’re smart, so they make it easy for people who aren’t as smart to follow them. There’s never any need to worry for them; not when they’re this popular and this strong. It’s okay for everyone to see what they’re doing, because they can look after themselves. In fact, they can do more than that! They can look after everyone!

 

No one else could ever be that mix of sweet and powerful. It’s really quite amazing!

 

So it’s probably okay to use the posts and updates on their profile to keep an eye on them. If they didn’t want that, then they wouldn’t do it, right?

 

And it’s okay to use those posts to find behavioural patterns, and to find the right times to watch their home. It’s only curiosity, and curiosity (when it comes to love!) is something that cannot be ignored. It might be weird, but if it’s for love-!

 

Well, then it’s okay.

 

**_Beep beep beep beep- beeeeep!_ **

 

What was the next combination? There are only two left, so it shouldn’t be that difficult to figure out. Was it 9868, or 9869?

 

It’s fine, there’s still time.

 

I’m not doing anything wrong.

 

If it’s for love, then it’s okay. It isn’t like I want to hurt them, or do anything crazy like that.

 

You see, we know each other. Or, we know of each other. I know them, at least.

 

I think we’d shared a class together… Yes! That was it! We shared a class, and they were really popular. It’s not hard to see why, but I really wish those other people had left them alone. Those other people were attracted to them, just as I was, but unlike _me_ , they didn’t realise that they never stood a chance.

 

At least I was honest about it. I’m not strong, and I have no weight on me. I easily blend into the background, like I’m nothing more than furniture. Hey, don’t pity me! I’m not saying I hate it! I just know my place in the world, that’s all. Someone like me, with what’s happened… well, I’d never be self centred enough to believe that they’d give me a second thought.

 

Besides, they didn’t even know I existed. The most we’d ever done was share eye contact, and that had barely lasted more than two seconds. I think it must have been the first day of class, and the first time I’d seen them.

 

They were so happy, and made everyone around them happy. They were empathetic, kind, and smart. Nothing like the others in our class. But I’m getting off topic.

 

In that moment that they looked at me, I could feel myself falling. I started to think disgusting things- things that would make them hate me. I wanted to know what they were like in bed, and what expressions they’d make. How they’d do it, and how often. Would they be submissive? Or dominant? Soft, or rough?

 

These thoughts plagued me, and it wasn’t until I left for university that they dulled.

 

**_Beep beep beep beep- beeeeep!_ **

 

But, the peaceful life I’d hoped for seemed to be nothing more than a dream. One of my senpai’s, a popular one, singled me out. I don’t know why he hated me, but he and his friends made my life a misery. No matter how hard I tried to stay away from them, they always found me, and bullied me until I felt I might actually die of shame.

 

The worst part is, that beautiful person saw it all. They saw it when my senpai’s had me against the wall and were pummeling my stomach, but then the bell rang and everyone disappeared. The next day, I was bringing the textbooks to class and that person and I passed each other in the hallway.

 

They didn’t look at me, didn’t acknowledge me.

 

They knew what I was.

 

Pathetic.

 

The bullying only escalated after that. It was near the end of the year that the worst happened.

 

Class had finished, and the halls were empty. I’d planned on going to the library to study, because my grades were dropping. It was hard to focus, what with the bullying and the shame, so I really wanted to _try._

 

I was cornered in the stairwell by six of them, and there was no talking this time. Apparently, the time for that was over, and they were determined to go through with whatever terrible plan they’d thought up.

 

Rumours had already travelled from the boys locker room to the rest of the school about my… injury, and that’s what they wanted to attack the most. My shirt was ripped up and over my head so I couldn’t see, and my arms were pinned back against the wall. I could hear them snickering over the disgusting mess on my stomach, but if that’s all they’d done, it’d be fine.

 

The first punch wasn’t something I’d expected, and it’d knocked the air out of my lungs. The shirt around my head made it hard to breathe, and I couldn’t move. The second punch hurt more, I think, because I’d only just been able to take a breath. Anything that came after that became a blur.

 

Still, it wasn’t too bad. I could take a beating, and it wasn’t like they could keep it up forever!

 

Unfortunately, they seemed to have the same thought, which is probably why they pulled out the pocket knife. The main one, the one who’d started everything, said something about cutting my disfigurement off me. It was an eyesore, just as I was an eyesore, so it wouldn’t matter if I bled to death just so long as it was gone.

 

I’m not really sure what happened after that. I know that I panicked, and tried my hardest to get away. The memories of how I’d been disfigured were still clear, and I really didn’t want to feel that much pain again! And with a knife? He’d probably make it worse!

 

He must have cut me, because I remember seeing blood afterward. It was only the tiniest cut- something I’d only needed a band aid for- but I hoped it would scar anyway.

 

Why? Because They saved me, and I want the reminder! Did I forget that part? All these memories are a bit traumatic, so you can’t be too mad at me for that!

 

From what I remember, my homeroom teacher was the one to _physically_ save me. I asked him later, and he said that they- that beautiful, amazing person- had seen what was happening and tipped him off. If it wasn’t for them… I don’t know if I’d be alive.

 

That’s why I realised just how much I love them. No matter what, I can’t suppress my feelings! I love them in every way, and I just need to be closer! I might be a disgusting pervert, and I know they’ll never return my feelings, but I don’t care! I love them!

 

Eh?

 

Why am I calling them ‘them’?

 

How else would I refer to them? I guess I could say “she’s a goddess, and I love her,” but that seems to familiar. They’re the most incredible person, and deserve as much respect as I can give!

 

Which might not be much, considering what I’m doing. But as long as I’m breaking into their home for love, then it should be all right.

 

Celty will understand.

  


******

  
  


Without taking his eyes off the road, Shizuo slapped at the hand fiddling with the radio. He knew better that to engage with his partner, but there was only so much he could take. The pest _knew_ that, when Shizuo was driving, they had to listen to what _he_ wanted to listen to. It was the _rule_ \- one they’d _both_ agreed to- and it was fucking annoying that it wasn’t being respected.

 

What sort of shitty cop broke car _laws_ , anyway?

 

“Ow!” Izaya retracted his hand and nursed it against his chest. It was obviously an act, given that Shizuo hadn’t so much as grazed him, but that didn’t stop him from being dramatic as possible. “Shizu-chan, I think you broke my hand.”

 

“Shut up, or I’ll break your face.”

 

“You’re such a monster!”

 

“Shut _up._ ”

 

“Aren’t you meant to _protect_?”

 

“Yeah, the public.” Shizuo took a deep breath and fought the urge to light a cigarette. Their superior had warned him about smoking in the patrol car (even though it wasn’t him and he’d been set up by the piece of shit in the passenger seat), so even _thinking_ about smoking made him feel guilty.

 

“What about me?”

 

“That’s what I meant.” Shizuo took another deep breath. “Gotta protect them _from you._ ”

 

A childish laugh echoed through the car and grated against Shizuo’s nerves.

 

“What’s so funny?”

 

“Shizu-chan is like a cop from a movie!”

 

“...”

 

“You’re even wearing sunglasses! And it’s cloudy outsi-!” The car pulled to a sudden halt and jarred Izaya out of his sentence. “That’s reckless driving, Shizu-chan.”

 

“Stop fuckin’ calling me that! My-”

 

“ _My name is Heiwajima Shizuo!_ ” Izaya finished, imitating Shizuo’s voice as best he could before erupting into more laughter. “You’re so predictable!”

 

“Well you’re fucking dea- eh?” Shizuo stopped mid-lunge when he spied something out the passenger window. “That looks weird.”

 

“You think everything looks weird.”

 

“No, look out there.” Shizuo gestured out the window and to a nearby house, where a man in a strange, what-must-have-been-white-at-some-point coat was shifting on his feet outside the front door. “What’s he doing?”

 

“It looks like he’s trying to go inside the house.”

 

“I know that! But it looks weird!”

 

“It would to you, since you never have any visitors.”

 

“What’s that got to do with anything?!”

 

“You don’t know?” Izaya laughed in a way that said he _knew_ Shizuo had no idea. “That’s where Celty lives.”

 

“Celty?”

 

“Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten her!”

 

“Of course not.” Shizuo fell back into his seat and tried to bring a face to the name. He did know a Celty, from back when he’d taken his public service exam. She’d been kind to him, and had helped him prepare for the test. “Just didn’t think she’d live in such a shitty part of town.”

 

“It’s no wonder she has suspicious men coming to her door then.” Izaya turned away from the window and tapped the dashboard. “Let’s go.”

 

“We can’t just go!”

 

“Yes, we can.” Izaya tapped the dashboard again. “Let someone else deal with it.”

 

“Like who?!”

 

“Maybe Tanaka Tom could leave the station for once and do a patrol...”

 

“At least talk about him with respect!” Shizuo’s knuckles turned white with how tightly he was gripping the steering wheel. “And don’t change the subject!”

 

Izaya tapped the dashboard again, then fell back against his seat heavily. He knew who the suspicious character was, but that didn’t mean much. The man could be there for any number of reasons. “What do you want to _do?_ ”

 

That was a good question, and one Shizuo didn’t immediately have the answer for. It took a solid minute of him squinting out the window and shifting in his seat to come to a decision, and when he did, his whole demeanor changed.

 

“Ask him what he’s doing.”

 

“Why should _I_ ask?”

 

“You’re the closest!”

 

“We’re not children! If you want to ask, then you should ask yourself!”

 

“Just do your job!”

 

“You do yours!”

 

“FINE!” Shizuo slammed a fist against the horn, which in turn made both Izaya and the stranger outside Celty’s house jump. “OI!”

 

The suspicious character didn’t turn around, but Shizuo put it down to him being confused. It was a nearly abandoned area, but if the guy wasn’t expecting someone, then maybe he hadn’t realised Shizuo was yelling at him. He leaned over Izaya (who was not too happy with the action) and wound the window down so that he could better bellow out of it.

 

“OI, YOU AT THE DOOR!” The figure turned around, and his expression gave Shizuo a strange feeling. “There’s uh, been a lot of crime, so we’re doing neighbourhood checks.”

 

The suspicious character tilted his head, and muttered something that could have been thanks.

 

“So, uh, be careful.”

 

The character nodded, then turned back toward the door. Unsure of what else to do, Shizuo shrunk back into his seat.

 

“I don’t trust him.”

 

“You don’t trust anyone.”

 

“He’s suspicious!”

 

“Then why don’t you question him some more?” Izaya asked with a sigh.

 

“Tch.” Truthfully, Shizuo wasn’t sure what to ask. There was a fine line between serving the community and using his power to be overbearing, and he wasn’t willing to cross it unless he had good reason.

 

With another sigh, Izaya looked away from Shizuo and out the window. “Do you live here?”

 

The suspicious character at the door paused, and turned around slowly. It was unclear whether he recognised Izaya as well, and he took his time answering.

 

“I’m a relative. I’m here to pick something up.”

 

“Pick what up?” Izaya asked innocently.

 

“It’s a private family matter.” The suspicious character replied, using the same defiant tone he had when he and Izaya had been in middle school. Only this time, it seemed odd. There was no playfulness to it, and Izaya had the distinct impression that Shinra had no idea who he was.

 

Did Shinra really not recognise him?

 

What a pity, after all they’d experienced together. Well, some people do tend to block out chunks of their memories if they’re traumatic enough. Maybe he didn’t remember Nakura, either.

 

“I see.” With that thought in mind, Izaya smiled kindly and waved his hand. “Sorry to have bothered you.”

 

“That’s it?” Shizuo barked, “You know as well as I do that he’s lying!”

 

“We have no _proof_ of anything.”

 

“B-!”

 

“So stay here until we get some!”

 

**_DING! DING! ‘You’ve pressed the combination five times!’_ **

 

Even from the street, it was easy enough to hear the lock talking. The pair in the patrol car exchanged a quick glance, and silently agreeing that it should be Shizuo to get out and investigate further. He was the taller one, and though Shizuo had no idea, Izaya didn’t feel it was appropriate to talk to a potential criminal about his potential crime if he had a history with him. Not in front of Shizuo, anyway.

 

The door clicked open and Shizuo’s feet touched the ground, but Shinra stayed focused on the door. From where he was sitting, Izaya thought he could see him holding a piece of paper, but that could have been anything.

 

**_Beep… Beep beep…_ **

 

Shizuo approached the curb and reached out for the gate.

 

**_Beep. DING!_ **

 

**_Click!_ **

 

“Bye!” The atmosphere seemed to change, and Shinra walked into the house. The door closed quickly behind him, and Shizuo was left awkwardly reaching for the gate.

 

“Bye?” Embarrassed, he turned and quickly made his way back to the car. Once he’d re-entered, he sat staring in front of him with a confused expression. “He was actin’ weird...”

 

Despite his agreement, Izaya stayed silent. They sat quietly in the car for all of a minute before he reached for the radio again, successfully distracting Shizuo from his thoughts.

 

“WHAT’D I TELL YOU?!”

 

“Hahaha!”

  


******

 

Shinra collapsed against the door as soon as it closed, and released the breath he’d been holding. Sweat rolled down his temples in rivers, only to slow once they reached his cheeks. He was smiling- _grinning-_ and couldn’t stop the laughter from flowing out of him.

 

He’d done it.

 

He’d _done it!_

 

He was inside of Celty’s house!

 

It had been a close call, but he’d done it. And if he hadn’t been meant to enter, then surely the police would have picked him up as a trespasser! It was fate, destiny, and all of those things!

 

“Pardon the intrusion!” He pushed off the door and slipped off his shoes before arranging them neatly by the door. It would be awfully rude to track dirt in through the apartment, especially when Celty obviously took great care of it.

 

The carpet looked freshly laid, but Shinra knew better than to believe that. The last renovation there’d been at this house was five years prior, so it must just be that Celty was incredibly tidy and careful.

 

He crept from the entrance and deeper into the house, his fingers ghosting along the walls as he walked. They were as clean as the carpets, and gave off the impression that they’d been repainted recently. Again, Shinra knew better than that, and simply admired Celty’s apparent cleanliness.

 

It was only when his hand ran out of wall to touch that Shinra realised how deeply he’d explored. He stood in the doorway of what must have been Celty’s bedroom, and felt his cheeks grow warm.

 

_Celty’s bed._

 

_Celty’s sheets._

 

_Maybe she touches herself in here…_

 

_Maybe… I can smell it._

 

Shinra knew he was a disgusting pervert, but the growing hardness in his pants convinced him not to care. He quickly made his way toward the futon on the floor, then dropped to his knees and crawled onto it hastily.

 

_It smells like her!_

 

He buried his face into the pillow and took a long breath in, and simply savoured her aroma. Back at his own apartment, he had a bottle of the same shampoo she used, but it simply wasn’t the same. This pillow, though… This pillow was everything he’d ever dreamed of.

 

The soft scent of Celty’s shampoo, the bitter hint of sweat, and the knowledge that the same material he was pressing his face into was too much for him to bear. Without realising, he started rolling his hips and grinding against the futon, his fingers digging into the soft foam below him.

 

“ _Celty! Celty! Celty!_ ” His movements became more awkward and frenzied, but he kept calling her name regardless. “Ce _lty! Celty! Uh, huh, ah! Celty! T-Touch me more, hah! Celty! Celty!_ ”

 

**_Bang!_ **

 

Shinra stopped moving and held his breath. Had Celty returned home? She’d never seemed like the sort of person to slam doors, and it hadn’t really sounded like a door anyway. He pulled away from the mattress and strained his ears, trying as hard as he could to find the source.

 

_Maybe I imagined it._

 

Even with this thought, his eyes were drawn toward the closed closet doors. The bang had come from there, hadn’t it? It’d be irresponsible not to check, and he would have gone through the closet at some point.

 

Carefully, Shinra crawled toward the closet door before slowly rising to his feet. His hand gripped the handle lightly, almost as if he were afraid of it, and he took a deep breath.

 

It wasn’t scary. Maybe Celty had a cat? She’d be the sort of person who liked cats, that much he knew. So it was probably a cat.

 

With a small, self-deprecating chuckle, he gripped the handle more firmly and pulled the door open.

 

“Eh?”

 

Why would there be a trap door in Celty’s closet? The house was old, but even then… Well, it didn’t matter. The bang must have come from wherever it led, and since there was a key in the padlock holding the door shut, it wasn’t like Shinra could ignore it.

 

He crouched down quickly and unlocked it before gingerly removing the padlock altogether and placing it on the floor beside him. The urge to pocket it was strong, but there’d be a chance that he’d forget to replace it if he did that.

 

The lid of the trapdoor opened with the barest of creaks, which in turn caused Shinra’s heart to speed up. It was an exhilarating experience, and he was sure he’d discover new parts of Celty down… stairs? Was this a basement?

 

“...”

 

Waiting at the top for more confidence would do no good, so with a gulp, Shinra slowly descended the stairs into the darkness. It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the dim lighting, and it wasn’t until he was near the bottom that he could take in his surroundings.

 

There were toolboxes strewn around the room that held tools Shinra couldn’t name, but apart from that, the basement seemed fairly empty.

 

“ _Mmf!_ ”

 

Had his eyes adjusted enough? Surely, he wasn’t seeing what he thought he was seeing.

 

“ _Mmm! Mmm mmf mmmf!_ ”

 

No… impossible!

 

“ _MMmf!_ ”

 

“Celty…?”

 

“ _MMMM! MMMMMFFF MFF!!_ ”

 

Oh God, no!

 

“CELTY!”

 

Shinra hurried over toward the bound and gagged woman, stumbling over his own feet in the process. He hit the floor hard, but ignored the pain as best he could.

 

Celty was hurt.

 

Celty _needed him!_

 

There was _no time left!_

 

Crawling over to her took an eternity, but soon enough, he was pulling the blindfold off her face. His eyes locked onto her tear filled ones, and he fought the urge to cry.

 

“ _Celty_...” He stroked her cheek gingerly, and smiled in a way he hoped seemed reassuring. “I’m here to save you.”

  


******

  


“Enka is so _boring_ though!” The battle between Izaya and Shizuo over the choice of radio station continued, despite Shizuo trying his hardest not to respond. “You’re such an old man.”

 

“...”

 

“You probably molest high schoolers on the train, too.”

 

“...”

 

“What was it like, having so many American’s here during the war?”

 

The car slowed to a stop, but Shizuo left the motor running. Izaya was grinning at him from the passenger seat, apparently see what Shizuo would do next.

 

“You’re older than me.” Shizuo’s response was gruff, but couldn’t hide the slightly confused tone beneath it.

 

“I’m not eighty-seven.”

 

“Get out.”

 

“No.”

 

“ _Izaya..._ ”

 

“Oh, look who it is.” With the click of a seatbelt, Izaya was out of his seat and draped across Shizuo as much as he could be. His finger tapped at the window, and he explained just what was so interesting outside. “Recognise her?”

 

Shizuo’s body had tensed with the contact (why did Izaya always fucking do this!?), but he managed to look out the window regardless. Once he saw just who it was Izaya was pointing at, a large smile made itself at home on his lips. He fumbled for the window crank for the half a second it took him to remember that the patrol car had electric windows, then lowered the window as quickly as he could.

 

“Oi! Celty!”

 

“Stop yelling ‘Oi!’ at people!”

 

“It gets their attention!” Shizuo turned back to the window and ignored Izaya’s faux embarrassment. The woman he’d been calling out to was approaching the car and adjusting the scarf tied around her neck, and he wondered if Izaya might have been right after all.

 

“Is that you, Shizuo?” She asked with a smile as she leaned down to the window. “It’s nice to see you passed your exams!”

 

Shizuo chuckled a little and made to scratch his head, but made sure to elbow Izaya’s face as he did. “Yeah, it’s been a while. Sorry I didn’t let you know, but-”

 

“You hate texting?”

 

“Something like that.” Having ignored the yelp his partner made, Shizuo reclaimed the steering wheel in an attempt to obscure Izaya’s view of Celty. “How’ve you been?”

 

“Well, thank you.” Celty crouched a little further and looked directly at Izaya. “So you two are partners?”

 

“Yeah, we-”

 

“Shizu-chan can’t be trusted to anyone else.” Izaya beamed, and moved to rest his chin on Shizuo’s arm. “He beat up four different officers before they let me put him on a leash! You’d think he’d be arrested, but the pound is always so bu-”

 

“Shut up!”

 

“-sy!”

 

“You shouldn’t make jokes like that.” Celty scolded with an uncharacteristic frown. “Shizuo is doing his best, and that’s the most anyone can ask for.”

 

With a mumbled _thank you_ , Shizuo shifted in his seat. He wasn’t all that used to compliments, and Celty was a person he respected. It meant a lot to hear, and even if Izaya was right about the beatings, it gave him a little hope for himself.

 

“Ah, sorry! You’re right!” Izaya chirped with a bright smile, making it as obvious as possible that he wasn’t sorry in the least. “I guess I’m just thinking about stray puppies, since we just saw one outside your house.”

 

“We didn’t see a dog?”

 

“We did!”

 

“What did it look like?” Celty asked seriously. “I’ll check the newspaper to see if there have been any missing pets lately.”

 

“We didn’t see a-”

 

“Hmm, let me see...” Izaya leaned back away from Shizuo and held his chin thoughtfully. “Well, it had a dirty white coat, but a dark brown mop of hair on its head. Skinny looking, glasses, about five feet ten inches ta-”

 

“Don’t compare Celty’s relatives to animals!” Interrupting, Shizuo released the steering wheel and rapped his knuckles on Izaya’s forehead. “If anyone’s the animal here, it’s you, anyway.”

 

“Ow, Shizu-chan is so cruel!”

 

“Relative?” Celty interjected worriedly, “Did they tell you who they were?”

 

“No, sorry. We should have asked.” Shizuo turned his attention back to Celty. “But they said it was a private family matter, and we didn’t want to overstep.”

 

“Do you know what it’s about, Celty-san?” Though it was phrased as a question, it sounded as though Izaya already had the answer.

 

“I think so. I have something at my house that they might be looking for...” With a strange smile, Celty straightened herself up and readjusted the scarf around her neck once again. “Thank you for telling me. I should really get home to greet them.”

 

“Do you want a lift? You’d have to sit in the back, but it’s clean.”

 

Celty had already taken a few steps away from the car, but turned back to Shizuo with a warm smile. “Thank you, but it isn’t too far from here. Maybe next time?”

 

“Sure.” With a wave, Shizuo smiled back and watched as Celty hurried down a nearby alley. He hadn’t realised he’d been watching her leave until a heavy head plopped itself back down on his arm with a sigh.

 

“She must be hot with that scarf.”

 

“Yeah...” With a shrug, Shizuo shoved Izaya off him and back to the passenger seat. “Guess she likes them a lot or something.”

 

“Or something...” Izaya smirked, and Shizuo felt the vein in his forehead throb.

 

“What.”

 

“Hm?”

 

“Spit it out.”

 

“Spit what out?” The seat creaked slightly as Izaya made himself more comfortable, and the grin on his face more punchable.

 

“Whatever stupid shit you want to say about Celty’s scarves.” She’d always seemed to wear them, but Shizuo had assumed they were just decorative. It wasn’t like they were made of thick wool or anything, and there’d be no use for a warm scarf in Spring, anyway. “You know what? I don’t care.”

 

“Don’t be such a spoilsport!” Laughing to himself, Izaya ignored Shizuo’s words and launched into it regardless. “Do you remember that double murder?”

 

“Which one?”

 

“It happened about five years ago, and was really disgusting! There was blood _everywhere,_ and the house had to be totally remade on the inside!” Izaya gestured wildly as he spoke, making himself look more like a conductor than an officer of the law. “The case went cold, but there were a lot of theories about it. The most popular one was that the man killed his wife, then committed suicide, but that’s ridiculous.”

 

Shizuo’s face was already scrunched up as he tried to remember which murders Izaya was talking about, so it wasn’t too hard to turn his thoughtful expression to one of irritation. “What’s so dumb about that?”

 

“It might just be me, but I think that stabbing yourself forty-seven times in the back would be a difficult way to kill yourself. It’d get the job done, but who has the time for such a tedious job?” Izaya sighed and slowly shook his head from side to side. “Well, it was Celty’s parents who were murdered. Kine-kun told me.”

 

“The Inspector?!”

 

“He’s quite talkative if you know how to ask the right questions.” Or who to ask could be closer to truth, but Shizuo didn’t need to know that Sharaku-chan had helped him dig the information up. “Apparently, Celty was found covered in blood and with a weird injury on her neck.”

 

“...injury? How was it weird?” Shizuo had given up all pretense of disinterest, and was instead listening to Izaya with wide eyes.

 

“From what _I_ heard, someone tried to remove her birthmark.”

 

“Birthmark?”

 

“Shizu-chan, are you just going to keep repeating what I’ve said but phrasing it as a question?”

 

“Tch!” Forced out of the spell he’d been under, Shizuo turned to look out the windshield and started up the engine. “I knew you were full of shit!”

  


******

  


For a while, Shinra simply stroked Celty’s face. Her crying had slowed, but her unintelligible mumblings continued. He hadn’t bothered to remove the gag yet; partly out of fear of her hating him, and partly because he knew that their moment would end as soon as he did. After years of pining, he wanted _just_ a _little_ longer.

 

“Celty, you’ve given me so much strength! So you need to let me lend you some of mine. I’m sorry I broke into your house, but I really couldn't help myself! I must have sensed that you were in trouble!” Though his tone was confident, Shinra wondered if Celty would accept the justification. “So don't scream when I ungag you. I'm not going to hurt you or anything!”

 

The mumbling stopped, and was replaced with a shaky nod. Shinra slipped his fingers under the cloth gag and gingerly moved it down her cheeks.

 

“SAVE ME! PLEASE!”

 

“I'm going to save y-”

 

“PLEASE! PLEASE, PLEASE, _PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE!”_

 

The girl struggled, trying in vain to free her arms from where they were tied behind her. She arched her back and stretched out, using all her strength as her cries grew louder.

 

It was only then that Shinra noticed the distinct lack of a birthmark on her neck.

 

“Celty…?”

 

“PLEASE SAVE ME!”

 

“You're not…”

 

**_Step_ **

 

**_Step_ **

 

**_Step_ **

 

**_Step_ **

 

**_Step_ **

 

“NO! NO, NO, NO!”

 

A chill sunk into Shinra’s bones from the pit of his stomach, and he turned to face the stairs behind him. His eyes had adjusted now, though even if they hadn't, he was sure he'd have recognised the woman standing behind him.

 

“Celty?” What was she holding? A bat? “Celty, what's going on?”

 

“ _I'M SORRY, PLEASE! PLEASE, I WON'T TELL ANYONE!”_

 

“Are you the police?” Celty asked cautiously, the bat dangling limply from her hand. “You were taking so long to get here that I went out to find you!”

 

“OH GOD, PLEASE, PLEASE!”

 

“Police?” Shinra tilted his head, obviously confused by the question.

 

“This girl broke into my house, and I restrained her.” Celty took a step forward, a look of fear mixed with relief on her face. “Thank goodness you're here!”

 

“I, uh…” Of course she didn't remember him. “I'm not, I'm… I thought you might be in trouble?”

 

“You must be my guardian angel, then.” With a guarded smile, Celty ignored the girl's pleas and bent down. She stared at her for a moment, her expression complicated, then gagged her once again. “She's giving me a headache.”

 

“MMM! MMMMMMMFFFFFF!!”

 

“Y-Yeah…” Shinra kept his eyes on Celty as the cold feeling inside him continued to spread. There was something odd about all of this, something he couldn't name. “Should I call the police again? A car passed by not too long ago-”

 

“My phone’s upstairs, and…” Celty straightened herself up. “She said there might be someone else here. Could you come with me?”

 

“Y-Yes! I'll…” Shinra pushed himself to his feet energetically, the wide smile on his face hiding his worry. Celty was scared, and she _needed_ him! “I'll protect you!”

 

“ _MMMMMM! MMMMNNNNFFF!!”_

 

“Thank you.” With a bow, Celty turned on her heel and walked back toward the stairs. Shinra cast another confused look at the girl on the ground, then frowned at her.

 

How could anyone break into Celty’s _home?_ How could anyone _rob_ her! It's a good thing Celty had been home, or else-

 

-wait.

 

Hadn't she checked in at the theatre? The movie should have ended only fifteen, maybe twenty minutes ago… And why was the girl half naked?

 

“I'm sorry, but could you tell me your name?” Celty snapped Shinra out of his thoughts, and he hurried over to the stairs. She was already at the top, and he didn't want to slow her down too much. “I'm not very good with faces.”

 

“OH! I'm Kishitani Shinra! We went to school together!” Shinra made his way up the stairs, his mind a mess of possibilities. “Raijin High School, and after that, university!”

 

“I'm sorry, I don't remember you.” Shinra was near the top now, only a few steps away from Celty. She hadn't moved yet, which was strange, so he paused himself.

 

“Celty...?” Alarms were blaring in Shinra’s mind, but he couldn’t figure out _why._ This was Celty! There was no reason to feel scared!

 

“I don’t care who you are.” Celty’s body stiffened and her voice chilled.

 

“But-” Shinra took another step forward and held out his hand, “I love you, Celty.”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Yes! You’re so strong, and beautiful! From your hair to your toes to your neck! We match!”

 

At the mention of her neck, the same complicated expression she’d worn earlier reclaimed her face. Her head tilted slightly to the side, and she lifted a hand out in front of her. “Then, why don’t we hurry upstairs?”

 

“Celty!” A grin broke out across Shinra’s face so quickly that the edges of his lips threatened to split, and he reached out for her hand. As he’d expected, Celty had understood his love and had forgiven him for breaking in. Love was the answer, the excuse, and all he needed! “And whatever happened, you just needed to protect yourself! I’ll protect you, too!”

 

His hand reached out for hers desperately, but he wasn’t fast enough to catch it. Determined, he lunged forward, only to have his wrist snatched and twisted awkwardly. Celty was saying something to him, but Shinra was too focused on maintaining his footing to properly understand.

 

He looked up at her with a questioning gaze, but his only response was the breath being knocked from his lungs.

 

Had Celty kneed him in the chest?

 

Why would she do that?

 

Was he falling?

 

Shinra didn’t want to die.

 

Would he lose a tooth if he hit the ground poorly?

 

Why was she so angry?

 

Why would Celty do this?

 

Celty wouldn’t do this.

 

This isn’t his Celty.

 

Shinra hit the ground hard. He’d landed on his shoulder, which was fortunate, but hadn’t been able to stop his head from bouncing off the cement flooring.

 

“ _MMMMM! MMMMFF! MMFFF! MMM!! MMMMMMMFFF!_ ”

 

**_Step_ **

 

_“MMMMNNNN!”_

 

**_Step_ **

 

_“MMMMMMMNNNFFF!! MM! MMMN!”_

 

**_Step_ **

 

_“MMMNN! MM! MMMMMF!”_

 

**_Step_ **

 

_“MMNNN! MMM! MMMN MFF!”_

 

Though Shinra knew it wasn’t the right time or place to sleep, his eyelids slipped closed and his breathing evened out.

 

It would be some time before he woke up.


	2. Chapter 02

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celty, no.

_ It hurts! _

_ “Kishitani- OH MY GOD!” _

 

_ I can smell it! I can smell it burning! _

 

_                                                                                                                                                                     “CALL AN AMBULANCE!” _

 

_ Pl-ease- _

 

_                                                                                                    “What’s going o- !!!” _

 

_ Make it stop! _

 

_                                                                                          “Don’t vomit on the kid!” _

 

_ Why!? _

 

_ “Orihara-kun, what happened?!” _

 

_ Help me! _

 

_                                                                                          “Who did this?!” _

 

_ HELP ME! _

 

_ “It… It w-was...” _

 

_ Please!  _

_                                          “Spit it out!” _

 

_ I don’t want to die! _

_ “Nakura.” _

  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  


Something soft kicked at Shinra’s side and jolted him back to the world of the living. The memories of his dream ran back to the shadows as he blinked, confused as to why he was feeling so cold. It took a moment for his sleep-addled mind to start putting the pieces together, but even the knowledge of where he was couldn’t help him diagnose the aches and pains through his body.

 

Hadn’t he fallen? That’s right, he had. Well, that explained why he felt like an amalgamation of bruises.

 

“Are you going to sleep all day?”

 

Celty had made him fall.

 

“Huh?” Sleep? Maybe he’d hit his head when he landed. “What’s happening?”

 

He heard an exasperated sigh, followed by the sound of something hitting the floor. Laying on his stomach wasn’t helping his powers of observation, so he tried to move into a seated position. Of course, this was a lot easier said than done, given that Shinra was only now realising that his arms were bound firmly behind his back.

 

With some struggling, he managed to roll himself onto his side instead, only to come face to face with-

 

_ “AGH!” _

 

“That isn’t very nice.” Celty scolded as she stepped over Shinra and to the corpse beside him. The girl he’d found earlier was lying motionless, her neck mutilated and her eyes wide. “I think she looks quite beautiful.”

 

“Wh-What!?” Terrified, Shinra tried to scutter backward, but was greeted with a sharp pain in his lower leg. A small cry tore from his throat as pain radiated throughout his body, but he received no sympathy.

 

“There’s beauty in imperfection, don’t you think?”

 

Was he naked? Oh God, he was only wearing underpants!

 

“It’s more genuine.”

 

She could see it on him!

 

“It’s- what are you doing?” 

 

“Wh-”

 

“Don’t say ‘what’.”

 

“Wh-y… is this happening?”

 

Celty frowned and plopped herself onto the corpse, using it as some sort of macabre seat. She was watching Shinra intently now, and he wondered if she’d understood the question. “She was annoying and boring.”

 

“...”

 

“I think she wanted you to help her. She kept yelling about you.” Leaning backward, Celty gazed up at the ceiling. “ _ Save me _ this,  _ please stop _ that...”

 

“...”

 

“It wasn’t as bad as she made it out to be, the silly girl.” Her gaze travelled from the ceiling and back to Shinra, who was trying as hard as he could to move away from the body on the floor. “It’s worse for me, since I have to live in a world where people like her exist. They waste their lives by complaining about things they can change, and take for granted how untouched they are… They’re not like us.”

 

“Did… Did you see it?”

 

“How did it happen?” Gingerly, Celty lifted the corpse’s wrist and used it to gesture toward Shinra’s stomach lazily. “Did you do it to yourself?”

 

Rather than answer, Shinra stayed silent. His body bent almost in two and he brought his knees to his chest, trying as hard as he could to hide his stomach.

 

“It doesn’t matter. It’s still disgusting- almost as disgusting as Mika is now.” Laughing, Celty dropped Mika’s wrist and pushed herself roughly away from the corpse before bouncing to her feet. She picked up the small grocery bag she’d brought with her and rifled through it noisily. “Since we’re the same, I’m going to let you live a little while longer. You’re not the sort of person I’d usually try to fix, but since you’re  _ in love  _ with me, I can make an exception.”

 

Her hand fished out something small from the bag, which she promptly dropped back to the floor before stepping toward Shinra. She stopped once the tips of her toes were only millimeters away from him, and unwrapped the package in her hand. “You look like a sick bird. It’s usually kinder to crush injured birds with rocks, since they can’t live like that in the wild, but it isn’t too strange to keep them in a box until they recover.”

 

The sentence was spoken calmly, as if Celty hadn’t just implied that killing Shinra might be the kindest thing to do. It made his stomach turn violently as bile rose in his throat, but he managed to stop himself from gagging. To vomit in fear wasn’t something he’d ever heard of, and not something he really wanted to experience.

 

“Here you go, little bird.” Celty’s warm smile returned once she’d broken apart the ongiri with her fingers, but Shinra didn’t feel too reassured. Worse still, the fear he felt was beginning to mix with something decidedly more out of place, and he felt his stomach flutter as she sprinkled rice over his head. “Aren’t you hungry? Peck it up.”

 

Peck it…?

 

“Don’t waste food, or I’ll have you apologise to the convenience store owners.”

 

“I… I can’t reach-”

 

“You don’t need hands to eat.” Celty’s warm smile grew wider, becoming hotter and more dangerous. “You have your mouth.”

 

Did… Did she…

 

But…

 

Shinra swallowed thickly, and rolled onto his stomach. His entire body ached with the small movement, and it took a great deal of effort to contain his whimpering. Slowly, he lowered his head and opened his mouth, then let his tongue dart out to lap at the rice grains on the cement floor.

 

“ _ OOF! _ ”

 

Something heavy struck the back of his head and shoved his nose into the ground  _ hard.  _ His teeth grated against the cement and bit into his lips, and he found himself unable to hold back anymore pained noises.

 

“I can’t believe you’d actually do that! Will you do everything I tell you?” Celty applied more pressure to the foot she had pressed against Shinra’s head, then twisted it as if she were extinguishing a cigarette. “The floor is disgusting! It suits you! Are you really going to lick it all up like a dog?”

 

There was no way to know what would make the punishment worse, so Shinra settled for mumbling a soft  _ yes.  _ He would do anything for Celty! Anything! Even if this wasn’t his Celty right now, he could maybe bring her back if he just made her happy!

 

Chuckling, Celty removed her foot and used it to kick Shinra’s shoulder until he rolled onto his back. She stood over him for a moment before bending herself in half, and used two fingers to tilt his chin up at her. 

 

“I’ve never had someone say they love me before.” Her fingers moved up his face to gently stroke at his cheek, and Shinra wondered if it was possible to wet yourself from terror when you’re dehydrated. “It’s too bad that something so  _ ugly  _ said it. Do you like it when I touch you like this?”

 

“Y-Yes...”

 

“ _ Pathetic. _ ” Two fingers from her other hand, still coated in rice, tapped at Shinra’s lips. Unsure of what else to do, Shinra opened his mouth just enough for the fingers to be shoved roughly into his mouth. He stared up at Celty, eyes wide and cheeks pink. “ _ Truly disgusting. _ ”

  
  
  
  
  


**

  
  
  
  


“Senpai!”

 

A cool, feminine voice broke Shizuo away from his quiet bickering with his partner, and drew his attention to the immaculately dressed officer on the opposite side of the room. Their fellow officers parted as she hurried toward him, the small smile on her lips morphing into a slight frown when Izaya waved at her with great enthusiasm.

 

“Vorona! How lovely to see you!” Izaya beamed, his voice full of false happiness, before he waved a hand toward the exit. “I thought you’d be out  _ there  _ somewhere.”

 

“Negative.” Vorona stopped just shy of the pair and narrowed her eyes. “I suffered the misfortune of having my shift tampered with. However, I am pleased to inform that the situation has been rectified.”

 

“Oh, how  _ terrible! _ ”

 

“Someone messed with your shift?” Oblivious to the animosity between his partner and his friend, Shizuo scrunched his face up. “What sort of arsehole would do that?!”

 

“The breed is not yet known, however, I possess suspicion toward a suspect.”

 

“Are they suspicious?”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

“A  _ suspicious suspect? _ ”

 

“Knock it off!” Shizuo shoved Izaya’s shoulder lightly, but couldn’t quite hide his own amusement. “You know Vorona isn’t from around here. Stop makin’ fun of her when she speaks better Japanese than you do.”

 

“I’m not doing an-”

 

“I express my gratitude, Senpai! I also express my thanks for your critique of-”

 

“Your Japanese can’t been  _ too  _ good; you’ve forgotten your  _ etiquette. _ ”

 

“Negative. Etiquette is not something that has been forgotten.”

 

“It’s impolite to interrupt a person when they’re sp-”

 

“Shizuo-senpai has stated your species as being a flea, or a parasite. Therefore, rules of etiquette do not apply.”

 

“That’s certainly rich, coming from-”

 

“Oi!” Shizuo pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Did this really have to happen every time Izaya and Vorona saw each other?!

 

“Shizu-chan, you need to stop saying that.” Though his eyes stayed fixed on Vorona’s, Izaya let his hand rest on Shizuo’s shoulder. “Even if it’s effective, it isn’t  _ polite. _ ”

 

“Tch, like you’d know about being  _ polite. _ ”

 

“Shizuo-senpai is correct: The Flea knows nothing of manners.”

 

“I don’t know how you could say that! I know quite a great deal about your manners.” His grip tightened on Shizuo’s shoulder in response to it’s desperate shrug, and he flashed the white of his teeth. “You believe it’s polite to shoot a fellow officer-”

 

“Negative!”

 

“So you deny it?”

 

“Yes! If I shot you, you would be dead.” There was disappointment laced in her voice, which both Izaya and Shizuo chose to ignore. “You were tased.”

 

“It’s the same thing.”

 

“It’s-”

 

“Stop! Just-” Shizuo turned and let his gaze wander around the station, and quickly took note of all the other officers quietly regarding them. “Shut up, okay?”

 

“...”

 

“As you wish.” Despite how formal she sounded, Shizuo couldn’t help but think of her as a scolded child. “Shizuo-senpai, I request your assistance.”

 

“Ah, with what?”

 

“I...” She stole a glance at Izaya, who sighed dramatically. 

 

“Shizu-chan, I’m going to get changed.” He squeezed Shizuo’s shoulder lightly and frowned at Vorona, then slowly started to walk away. “Don’t be too long!”

 

“Tch.” 

 

Though Vorona didn’t make any move toward Izaya, it was obvious to Shizuo that she was thinking about tasing him again. The first time it had happened, he’d found it amusing (and alarming, of course), but the second time had made Izaya a large, whining, spoiled child. He shuddered to think of what a third tasing might accomplish.

 

“Shizuo-senpai.”

 

“Oh, yeah?”

 

“I request your assistance in a… personal matter.” Shifting on her feet, Vorona took the opportunity to study the floor. It was endearing how childlike she could be at times, and Shizuo placed a hand on her head then ruffled her hair just a little.

 

“I dunno how much help I can be, but I’ll do my best.” He removed his hand from her head and quickly shoved it into his pocket, then nodded his head toward the exit. “I need a smoke.”

  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  


“Please-  _ hah! _ ”

 

“C-Celty!” 

 

“Please! I…  _ haa! _ ”

 

“ _ Ah! M-More! _ ”

 

“ _ More, please! _ ”

 

Celty snapped shut the book she’d been reading, then threw it at Shinra’s head. It bounced off his temple easily, dragging out another cry as it ricocheted onto the floor beside him. He knew that Celty had been trying to read, but the pain in his leg was almost unbearable.

 

Apparently frustrated with his whinging, Celty pushed herself up and away from the stairs she’d been sitting on and walked slowly toward Shinra. She regarded him in the same way a rational person might view an injured animal, but there was a distinct lack of empathy in her expression.

 

“Why are you complaining so much?”

 

On the ground, Shinra wondered if that were a trick question. “Hurts...”

 

“Mika didn’t complain this much.” Celty replied, casually placing her hands on her hips. “She screamed a lot, and cried, but she didn’t  _ complain _ .”

 

Was he annoying Celty now? That probably wasn’t too good. Choking back a sob, Shinra curled his body into the fetal position as best he could. His ankle ached with the movement, but he tried his hardest to keep it to himself.

 

“I gave you pills.”

 

“...”

 

“It can’t hurt  _ that  _ much.”

 

“...”

 

Her foot tapped the back of Shinra’s calf lightly, but received no reaction. Curious, she tapped it again with more force. “Did I forget to do your other leg?”

 

“N-No...”

 

“Don’t try to spare my feelings.” Sighing heavily, Celty looked at the ceiling with an exasperated expression. “This is so embarrassing.”

 

“B-But! You d-don’t have to do anything to my legs! I won’t go anywhere!”

 

“You’re just saying that. It’s sweet, but stupid.” 

 

“B-But-!” Shinra listened as Celty walked away, but he knew that she’d be back within seconds. Luckily for him, he’d been unconscious whenever she’d done… whatever it was to his leg, but it was agony nonetheless. He absolutely did not want to be awake for whatever she was about to do to his  _ other  _ leg. “I’m more useful this way!”

 

“You aren’t useful at all.” Celty replied, sounding more embarrassed than she had any right to be. “If I don’t do this, then I’ll lose you.”

 

“Lose-?”

 

“I lose everything,” A metal sounding object struck struck what might have been a toolbox with enough force to send an echo throughout the room, and Shinra was certain that it must have been one of the funny looking tools he’d seen as he’d entered the basement. Celty’s steps resurfaced shortly after, becoming louder and louder as he fought to contain his panic. “I’d probably lose my head if it wasn’t attached, so I’ll lose you if I’m not careful.”

 

“But, I won’t go anywhere!”

 

“...”

 

“Celty, I promise! I-!”

 

Deceptively strong fingers wrapped themselves around Shinra’s uninjured ankle and pulled it into an awkward position. He wanted to fight- to kick and scream and scratch and bite- but stayed absolutely frozen. He was pulled roughly, then turned, until he was able to catch sight of Celty’s face.

 

“Promises can be broken, so it’s easier if I just clip your wings now.” Her cheeks flushed a soft pink as a genuine smile tugged at her lips, and Shinra couldn’t help but consider her to be beautiful. “Don’t squirm, or I’ll cut too much. I’ve heard stories about the Achilles Tendon shooting up into a person’s thigh, but I’ve never seen it before.”

 

The tool Celty had chosen earlier pressed against the back of his lower calf, making Shinra’s heart both speed and stop all at once. His blood felt hot and thick, and try as he might, he couldn’t will his body to move. 

 

“If that happens, I don’t think I’ll be able to save you. So make sure you stay still or else I’ll end up cutting more than I mean to.”

 

The tool slipped across Shinra’s skin as soon as the last word had left Celty’s mouth. It made his back arch with pain and his legs tense, and a loud cry was ripped from his lungs.

 

It hurt!

 

It  _ hurt _ !

 

Oh, God!

 

Even after the tool had been removed, Shinra could feel it’s phantom touch pulling itself through his skin. His teeth were grit firmly together, and the taste of blood swam over his tongue. Over and over again, his mind repeated the memory, which in turn worsened the tremors that seized his body.

 

“You aren’t as loud as I thought you’d be.” A metallic rattling on the ground hinted that Celty was done with the tool (and hopefully her work on his leg), but her fingers stayed fixed on his limb. Shinra’s entire body shook with the effort to stay silent, which was thankfully noted by his captor. “I’ll give you a reward. Just stay quiet.”

 

The air thinned once Celty stepped away, making it considerably easier to breathe. Even though she was rattling about another toolbox, the distance between them did wonders for Shinra’s heart.

 

“I’m not a doctor, but I’ve seen some dramas.”

 

Rather than respond verbally, Shinra continued to swallow his voice. If he so much as breathed through his mouth, he was sure that he’d start screaming and wouldn’t be able to stop.

 

“So don’t complain too much about how I bandage your legs. As long as you don’t get an infection, it should be fine.”

 

At some point, Celty had returned to Shinra’s side, but he couldn’t quite remember when. The tips of her fingers played with the broken skin of his leg, pushing and pulling at it despite Shinra’s whimpering.

 

“It looks like it’s trying to talk.” Her fingers moved a little more firmly against Shinra. “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.”

 

“Please-”

 

“Blah, blah, blah. Eh? Oh.” With another heavy sigh, Celty unravelled some of the bandage she’d recovered from the toolbox. She pressed something- gauze, maybe- against the deep slice in Shinra’s calf, then slowly started to wind the bandage around. She’d only wound it around his leg twice when she sniffed the air, then cast her eyes downward to confirm her suspicions. “That’s disgusting. Couldn’t you hold it?”

 

“S-Sor-Sor-” Shinra stumbled out, unable to speak over his feelings of shame. He hadn’t even needed to use the bathroom, and yet-

 

“What a silly little bird.” Rather than stop, Celty sped her movements until Shinra’s leg was properly bandaged. “I should leave you sitting in your own filth.”

 

“...”

 

“Let’s see if you can crawl, then.”

  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  


“A detective?!” Shizuo asked, clear pride beaming through his expression. “That’s… Vorona, that’s great!”

 

“Is it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I see.” Vorona shifted on her feet and dipped her head. A few stray blonde hair curtained her face, hiding the pink dusting in her cheeks. “I will be relocated. We will no longer share a floor.”

 

“Yeah, but...” Shizuo took a puff of his cigarette as he thought. “It isn’t like you’re going too far, right? So we can still have cake sometimes.”

 

“...”

 

“We just won’t tell Izaya about it, or else he’ll try to set the cake on fire or somethin’.” Though it was meant as a joke, both Vorona and Shizuo knew that the statement was more true than they might like. “Which division?”

 

“Homicide.”

 

“You know anyone working there?”

 

“A few.”

 

“Who’s your partner gonna be?”

 

“...”

 

“You didn’t ask?” Confused, Shizuo looked back at Vorona. “When’d this happen?”

 

Vorona’s arm tilted so that she could more easily view her watch. “Seventeen minutes and forty-six seconds ago.”

 

Such an earnest answer had Shizuo chuckling, and he tossed his cigarette on the ground before stomping on it. “It’s only natural to be excited, I guess.”

 

“...”

 

“Don’t worry, you’re gonna be great. And you’ll make new friends there.”

 

“Friendship is not a priority.”

 

“Maybe, but you will. And Tom-san will still keep an eye on you, even if you’re in another department.”

 

“Shi-zu-chan!” Izaya’s voice wafted through the breeze as obviously as a mosquito, and Shizuo turned to face him with a frown. “Let’s go home!”

 

“Sorry, but I should go before he gets bored and does something.” Shizuo’s expression was one of annoyance, but contradicted his relaxed tone. “Thanks for confiding in me.”

 

“Shizuo-senpai-” Vorona snatched at Shizuo’s wrist as he turned to walk away, stopping him immediately. They shared a look, and Vorona smiled shyly. “Thank you for supervising me during our shared time.”

 

“Shizu- _ chan! _ ”

 

“Don’t mention it.” Shizuo waited until Vorona released his wrist, then pet her shoulder before walking toward his annoying partner. He could still feel her eyes on his back, and moved his hand into the air to wave lazily before remarking over his shoulder: “You’ll do fine.”

  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  


“ _ Blllgggh! Bllggghh blgg! Blllggghh! _ ”

 

The burning of Shinra’s lungs distracted him from the feeling of Celty’s hand gliding his back and emptied his mind totally. He hadn’t thought he’d found any of this arousing, and therefore didn’t understand why this was happening. 

 

Earlier, Celty’s eyes had fixed themselves to his crotch as she’d sprayed him with the hose, and her cheeks had gradually grown pinker. It was endearing and confusing, because there’d been no reason for her to be embarrassed. It wasn’t like he was naked or anything.

 

“ _ BLLGGH! BLLGGHHGH!! _ ” Celty yanked on Shinra’s hair and pulled his face out of the water, allowing him to get one large breath before shoving it back into the tub. It felt somehow crueller this way, but at least he hadn’t inhaled any liquid yet.

 

He was only submerged for a few seconds before he was ripped back out of the water again and thrown to the floor. His back hit the tiles with the wet  _ slap,  _ and his chest heaved as his lungs fought to take as much oxygen as possible.

 

“You smell bad.”

 

“S-S-S-”

 

“If you wet yourself again, I’ll cut  _ it  _ off so you’re easier to clean.”

 

“..!”

 

“So disgusting… Ugh, I’m going to need a shower.” She took a seat on the edge of the bathtub and eyed Shinra carefully. “Your hair's too long. It’s getting in the way of your eyes.”

 

“...” Though Shinra knew he was being spoken to, he was far too busy relearning how to breathe to respond.

 

“I’ll fix it now, while your hair is wet.” She pushed off the tub and strode over to the medicine cabinet. From what Shinra could see, it looked as though the cabinet was well organised, which could be why it only took a second for Celty to find her scissors.

 

“I-It’s okay! I can do it myself!”

 

“Sit up.” Celty reclaimed her seat on the edge of the tub and spread her legs. Though she was wearing pants, Shinra couldn’t help his mind go to certain inappropriate places. “Rest your back on the bath.”

 

There was nothing Shinra wanted to do less, but he struggled toward Celty regardless. With some hesitance, he turned himself around once he was close enough, and let himself sink against the tub. Celty’s thighs brushed against his shoulders and made the entire room feel uncomfortably warm, and he suddenly felt glad that she couldn’t see his face.

 

“Good Little Bird..” She snapped the blades of the scissors together beside Shinra’s ear, forcing him to jump as she giggled to herself. “I won’t hurt you. You need to relax!”

 

“...”

 

“Stay still,” the scissors ran along the skin of Shinra’s temple slowly, “or I’ll cut your ear off by accident.”

 

Having heeded Celty’s warning, Shinra held onto his last inhale and stayed frozen. Slight tremors wracked his body, and small noises slipped out from between his thinned lips. This new Celty was unpredictable, and annoying her was the last thing he wanted to do.

 

The press of metal against his temple grew firmer, and was eventually followed by a small  _ chop.  _ He let out a small breath as it slid along his skin, but it hitched when it grazed the shell of his ear.

 

“Don't move.”

 

The scissors creaked slightly as they slowly closed, their sharp edge dragging along Shinra’s ear dangerously. With nothing else to do, he closed his eyes tightly and balled his hands into fists.

 

_ Chop. _

 

“You're obedient.” The blades missed his ear, but that fact did nothing to calm Shinra’s heart rate.

 

_ Chop. _

 

“Aren't you scared?”

 

_ Chop. _

 

“Are you afraid that if you talk, I'll get distracted and chop your ear off?” 

 

_ Chop! _

 

The metal nicked the edge of Shinra’s lobe, but he did his best not to move. It only felt like a small cut, scarcely larger than a papercut, and God only knew what she'd do if provoked.

 

_ Chop. _

 

“Celty…”

 

_ Chop. _

 

“What is it?”

 

_ Chop. _

 

“...”

 

_ Chop. _

 

The metal skimmed the back of Shinra’s neck lightly, then travelled to the other side of his face. There, the scissors opened, and Shinra felt the blades press against the part that connected his ear to the rest of his head.

 

“Can…”

 

“Hm?” The blades shifted slightly, dragging across Shinra’s skin just enough to urge him to spit it out.

 

“Can I stay up here? With you?”

 

“Oh.” The scissors ceased moving, and Celty hummed thoughtfully to herself. “No.”

 

“But-! AGH!” The scissors closed quickly, the sound of its metal arms snapping closed enough to make Shinra jump. His hand flew to where his ear hand once been, just as his throat became clogged with a series of whines and pleas.

 

“Did you really think I’d chop your ear off with a pair of bathroom scissors?” Celty laughed, snapping the scissors open and closed several times to make her point. “I moved them away from you, idiot.”

 

“I-!”

 

“I told you not to move, and now you know why.” Metal struck the floor, and the sound made Shinra jump once again. Celty’s fingers, now free, lightly brushed the cut hairs off Shinra’s neck. “If you do as you're told, you won't get hurt. If you disobey me, then I'll hurt you by accident. Do you understand?”

 

The air became too thick to breathe, and Shinra found himself panting. He nodded quickly, and tried to resist the urge to lean backward into Celty’s touch.

 

“What a good little bird you are…” 

  
  
  
  


******

  
  
  
  


After what passed for a bath, Celty had forced Shinra to crawl after her to another bedroom. It was one of the rooms he’d been planning to explore when he’d originally broken in, but hadn’t been had the chance to.

 

It had a eerie sort of feel to it, and though it was modern, Shinra felt as though time had stopped for that room. There was a western style bed in a corner, large enough to sleep two people, but the sheets had been disturbed. There were strange stains on the floor, along with scrubbing brush, and he wondered if Celty had been cleaning before she’d left for the cinema earlier that day.

 

Upon closer inspection, however, it was clear that both the brush and the stains had been there for some time. Was it possible that this room had been left out of the renovations?

 

“Here.” Shinra was jolted out of his thoughts when a large, navy-blue shirt was tossed his way. “Put this on.”

 

“Eh, ah?” Shinra awkwardly crawled forward and grasped the cloth in his hands. He felt clumsy as he fumbled with it, like he was using his hands for the first time. His cheeks flushed when he realised that Celty was staring at him, but he managed to pull it over his head regardless. It was much too large, and if he were to stand then it would surely have hit his mid thigh, but at least it hid his stomach.

 

“I thought you’d look like him if you wore that.” Celty thought aloud as her head tilted to the side. “But luckily, you really are quite feminine.”

 

“Sorry, Celty...”

 

“Why are you apologising?” She took a step toward him, but he merely stared up at her. “You’re strange, Shinra.”

 

“..!”

 

“What is it?”

 

“You… remembered it,” Shinra looked at Celty’s feet and played with the hem of his shirt, “my name...”

 

“It isn’t a hard name to remember.”

 

“...”

 

“Does it mean that much to you?” Her tone, though stern, was tinged with surprise. She took another step toward him, then another, until she was towering over him. “Are you so easily forgotten that you’re happy with something so small...”

 

She reached her hand down to his head, then let her fingers spread out through his hair. For a moment, Shinra couldn’t help but feel comforted. This Celty was the one he’d dreamed of- the one he’d fallen in love with! 

 

“Everyone else will forget you, because you’re nothing but a loser. A waste of air and a drain on society.” The light touches were replaced by scratches, her fingers yanking at his hair roughly. She drug his head backward until he was forced to look at her, and glared down at him with a manic sort of grin, “But I won’t. I see your potential, so make sure you always listen to me.”

 

Tears stung Shinra’s eyes, but he managed to keep them to himself. Though he couldn’t speak, Celty seemed to understand that he was agreeing to her terms and released his hair. She smoothed it down, her touch light once again, and sighed to herself in a similar way a mother might when thinking of their unruly child.

 

Something about it made Shinra’s heart both flutter and sink. As he stared up at her, he realised that he couldn’t stay here. His Celty was in there somewhere- he knew that- but there was no way that an idiot pervert like him could fish her out. No, he’d had it right when they’d first met: He simply wasn’t good enough for her.

 

Which is why, as much as he hated it, Shinra knew he needed to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this sure was a chapter... Thank you for reading! <3
> 
> Oh! And just because I wasn't sure how to describe it at first, Shinra isn't really crawling. It's more like... flopping around on his stomach and hoping it's making him move, haha.


End file.
